Friday, August 22, 2008

An Open Letter to Rush Limbaugh

Ninety-five legal authorities, social conservative leaders, writers and radio hosts and other public persons are listed below. Each affirms here (or has previously affirmed in their own words) some or all of the disturbing content of this letter. Signatures of countless state-level and grassroots leaders have not been listed in the interest of brevity.
Dear Rush,

You have been at the vanguard of the modern day conservative movement for the last quarter century. Many believe past conservative icons such as the late William F. Buckley Jr. and Ronald Reagan passed the torch to you. We urge you, as the man who introduces himself to 25 million Americans each week as “America’s Truth Detector" with "talent on loan from God," to take an objective and sobering look at the real Mitt Romney record and ask yourself, "Should I really be telling all of America that he is a true conservative who would be an excellent choice for president/vice-president?"

Consider:

1. Romney violated the state Constitution by usurping the Legislature's exclusive powers to suspend execution of the marriage statutes. He ordered illegal alterations to the marriage certificates. Lacking any binding (or even enabling!) statute he ordered that these still legally void licenses be issued to homosexual couples. He falsely told America that the "judges somehow had legalized same sex marriage," in obvious contradiction of multiple parts of the state Constitution Romney had sworn to defend. Though he publicly admitted the four outlaw judges had violated the Constitution, bizarrely, Romney opposed citizens' efforts to remove the judges for issuing an obviously unconstitutional (therefore legally null and void) opinion, in arrogant violation of their sworn oaths of office. 2. Romney’s "signature" government mandated healthcare plan that was endorsed by Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton and Planned Parenthood, established abortion, with a tax payer subsidized $50 co pay, as a "healthcare benefit.”(AFTER HIS PURPORTED "PRO-LIFE CONVERSION"). Romney also created a permanent, official government role for an unelected Planned Parenthood representative on his healthcare board and no pro-life appointee. (Again, AFTER HIS PUPORTED “PRO-LIFE CONVERSION”).

3. Romney increased government funding for anti-family, anti-morality homosexual propaganda starting in kindergarten, and refused to defend school children and parents’ rights against this indoctrination.

4. Romney opposes a ban on homosexual boy scoutmasters and has stated that "I feel that all people should be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation." (Boston Globe, 10/27/1994).

5. Romney's former staff member and others have revealed that in 2002, in return for the homosexual "Log Cabin Republicans" endorsement, Romney secretly promised to let judges exceed their legal power and unconstitutionally impose homosexual "marriage."

6. Romney cited a non-existent state law to force Catholic Charities, the state's largest adoption and foster care agency, to provide children to homosexuals even when normal mother-father families were lined up to give them a home. Even former governor liberal Democrat Mike Dukakis pointed out that this "law" Romney was using was no "law," but merely an executive regulation that a governor can cancel with a stroke of his pen. Dukakis stated, "The state’s anti-discrimination statutes do not preclude an exemption for the Catholic organization.”

7. Romney is often portrayed as being a “fiscal conservative.” Yet his "signature" achievement as governor, his government run “universal” healthcare plan that was endorsed by Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, and Planned Parenthood, has been a total failure according to the Wall St. Journal, Boston Globe, and Cato Institute.

8. Romney increased taxes and fees by over $800 million which devastated the Massachusetts economy. He also opposed the Bush Tax Cuts earning him praise from uber-liberal Barney Frank.

10, The so-called conservative governor from a liberal state that is wrapping himself around the flag as a culture warrior was rated the #8 RINO (Republican in Name Only) by the long-time conservative journal Human Events on December 27, 2005.

11. The Boston Globe reported on July 25, 2005 that Romney had passed over Republican lawyers for three-quarters of the 36 judicial vacancies he faced, instead nominating registered Democrats, Independents, and two open homosexuals. In fact, Romney only nominated 9 Republicans for judgeships in Massachusetts, but he did nominate 14 Democrats.

12. On June 6, 2007, Romney said, "There are other ways to raise kids that's fine--single moms, grandparents raising kids, gay couples raising kids. That's the American way, to have people have their freedom of choice."

13. Romney criticized General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, for saying homosexual acts are "immoral." Romney called Pace's March 2007 comments "inappropriate" and said we should "show more of an outpouring of tolerance." Romney also said that "we, as a society, welcome people of all differences, whether there are differences in ethnicity, faith or sexual preference...."

14. On Meet The Press, December 16, 2007, Romney told Tim Russert it "makes sense" for states to pass ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Rush, as a group, we are not backing another candidate for VP. In fact, there is disagreement among us as to who would be the best VP choice for McCain. Some of us, as conservatives, are conflicted about voting for McCain at all. But when it comes to the real Mitt Romney, we are of one mind and one accord. We urge you to consider the real Mitt Romney record and ask yourself if this is the record of a genuine standard-bearer for the conservative cause that the name Limbaugh represents to many Americans.

The following attorneys, law professors and other holders of advanced degrees in law or constitutional theory are among the many who state here (or have previously stated in their own words) that Romney's claim that judges changed Massachusetts' marriage laws and he was "forced" or had legal authority to bypass the Legislature and violate the marriage statutes with his orders imposing homosexual "marriage" in Massachusetts, is constitutionally absurd and false.*

(Of these roughly half are from Massachusetts, uniquely familiar with the state Constitution and Romney's record. Most have also stated that -- based on his record -- Mitt Romney is neither "pro-life," nor a defender of parents' rights, children's rights, freedom of religion or constitutional boundaries, and is unfit for public office.)

Judge Ned Kirby (ret.), also former Assistant Minority Leader, Massachusetts Senate
Atty.Edgar Kelley, former Assistant United States Attorney, Massachusetts District
Professor Hadley Arkes, professor of jurisprudence, Amherst College (Massachusetts)
Professor Herbert Titus, former dean, Regent U. College of Law and College of Government, Co-founder, American Center for Law and Government
Professor Scott Fitzgibbon, professor of law, Boston College Law School (Massachusetts)
Professor Hugh Hewitt, Chapman University**
Professor Mary Ann Glendon, Harvard Law School, U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican**
Justice Joseph Nolan, Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts (retired)**
Atty. Phyllis Schlafly, President, Eagle Forum
Dr. Scott Lively, attorney, Defend the Family International (Massachusetts)
Atty. Gary Kreep, president, United States Justice Foundation
Atty. Thomas Glessner, President, National Institute of Family and Life Advocates
Atty. Jan M. LaRue, former Chief legal counsel of Concerned Women for America (CWA), currently affiliated with Brent Bozelle's Media Research Center
Dr. Alan Keyes, Ph.D, Harvard (American constitutional theory), Reagan appointee as Ambassador to United Nations' Economic and Social Council and an Assistant Secretary of State
Atty. J. Edward Pawlick, founder, Lawyer's Weekly newspapers
Atty. 'Robert Paine,' author: "The Governor's New Clothes: How Mitt Romney Brought Same-Sex 'Marriage' To America", veteran attorney (pen name)
Dr. Ted Baehr, Chairman, Christian Film and Television Commission (Juris Doctor, New York Univ. School of Law, former editor: NY Law School Newspaper)
Atty. Larry Cirignano, former Executive Director, Catholic Vote (Massachusetts)
Atty. Owen O'Malley, (Massachusetts)
Atty. Chester Darling, (Massachusetts) former president, Citizens for Preservation of Constitutional Rights, won a rare unanimous decision before the U.S. Supreme Court)
Atty. Mat Staver, President, Liberty Counsel, Dean, Liberty U. School of Law
Atty. Matt Barber, formerly at Concerned Women for America (CWA), currently with The Liberty Counsel

Note: Charles E. Rice, Professor Emeritus of Law, Notre Dame Law School signed a letter publicly calling Romney "dishonest" for signing in a Planned Parenthood and Hillary Clinton-approved "major expansion of taxpayer-funded abortion" (at $50 each) after he claimed to have rediscovered his "pro-life" convictions.

The following public figures are among the many who state here (or have previously stated) that Romney's claim that he was somehow "forced" and had legal authority to bypass the Legislature, violate the marriage laws and give unconstitutional orders imposing homosexual "marriage" in Massachusetts, is constitutionally absurd and false -- and that based on his actions as governor, Mitt Romney is unfit for public office.

The following are among the many who have publicly called Romney "dishonest" for signing in government-subsidized $50 abortions after he claimed to have acquired "pro-life" convictions

Charles E. Rice, Professor Emeritus of Law, University of Notre Dame Law School
Jerry Zandstra, President, Pro-Life Federation
Judie Brown, president, American Life League, Virginia
David Brownlow, executive director, Life Support, Oregon
Deborah DeBacker, 9th District GOP state committeewoman, Michigan
Mark Forton, President of Michigan Conservative Union
John Geisler, President, Michigan Republican Assembly
Tom Hoefling, former chair, Idahoans for Tax Reform
Brian Kindzia, Georgians for Life
Barbara Kralis, Catholic Activist, Texas
Mary Starrett, executive director, Oregonians for Life
Judy Zabik, board member, Genesee County Republicans, Michigan
*We are able to fully document the statements about Romney and his record made by all those listed above, including in many cases, private communications put in our hands by their friends and colleagues. **Nolan and Glendon have contradicted Romney in private to multiple parties while allowing him to lie to voters about his purported legal authority and obligation to give orders establishing homosexual "marriage." Hewitt, bizarrely enough, published a very forceful and sound legal argument calling on Romney to treat the Goodridge opinion as fraudulent and legally void -- which it obviously is, according to both the Massachusetts Constitution and the same court's previous opinions -- but like Professor Glendon, Hewitt quickly found it in his financial and career interest to flip flop and join "conservative" Atty. Jay Sekulow, Right to Life atty. James Bopp, Family Research Council's Tony Perkins and the Alliance Defense Fund in going with the political flow.

This letter was composed and released by "Conservatives For Truth" an ad hoc group including Steven Deace, Gregg Jackson, Dr. Earle Fox, Phil Magnan, and John Haskins and others (see affiliations above). Countless state-level and grassroots leaders have not been listed in the interest of brevity. Organizations listed are for identification purposes only and do not imply that the organization itself has taken a position on a candidate.